Hip Adductor Stability

Wharton's Simple Solution No. 15 - Part II

The adductors are crucial neighbors of the knee and part of a group of key stability markers that determine the overall health of this region. The adductors are one of the weakest muscle groups in many athletes. The winter is a good time to turn our attention to this area, as cold, icy conditions can be hazardous to this already tight and unstable region.

WHAT IT IS

The hip adductors are made up of five muscles whose primary role is to bring the hip and pelvic muscles back toward the midline, making them vital to medial knee stability. These muscles are located on the inner thigh and serve vital roles in both active and static movement. As you run, the contraction of the adductor or "groin" muscles aids in the anterior (forward) and posterior (backward) motion of your swing leg during your running stride. When you're static, these muscles stabilize the equilibrium of the trunk by a constant adjustment of the pelvis. The result is a constant redistribution of forces throughout the body, with the knee a major benefactor of this redistribution.

STABILIZE IT

Lie on your side. Maintain straight alignment of your shoulder, hip, knee and foot. Rest your non-exercising (top) leg on a chair, low table or bench, making a 45-degree angle. Contract your exercising leg and move it up to meet your non-exercising leg. Return to start position. Begin without weight. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps each leg. Once the exercise becomes easy, progress to using an ankle weight.